Breastfeeding BASICS

Breastfeeding is ideal for child and parent health but challenging for most families a pediatrician explains how to find support

- ANN KELLAMS

As a pediatrician, I thought my medical background and pediatric training meant I would be well prepared to breastfeed my newborn.

I knew all about the research on how an infant’s diet can affect both their short- and long-term health. Compared to formula, breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome, lower rates of infections and hospitalizations and a lower risk of developing diabetes later in life. Breastfeeding can also provide health benefits to the parent.

But I struggled to breastfeed my own firstborn. I was exhausted and in pain. My nipples were bleeding and my breasts swollen. I worried about whether my baby was getting enough to eat. And I was leaking breast milk all over the place. I found myself asking questions familiar to many new parents: What in the world is going on with breastfeeding? Can I keep this up when I go back to work? How does a breast pump even work? Why doesn’t anyone know how to help me? And why are some families able to start breastfeeding and never look back?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends caregivers breastfeed their child for up to two years. However, many new parents are unable to reach these breastfeeding goals and find it very difficult to get breastfeeding going. Combined with inadequate support, some blame themselves and feel like less than a good parent.

While over 80 percent of families start out breastfeeding their baby, roughly 19 percent of newborns have already received infant formula two days after birth. Around half of families are able to breastfeed their babies six months after birth and only 36 percent at 12 months.